The Fires of Knowledge
by Shadow Blitzkrieg
Summary: When she finds a book after cleaning the basement, Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash are thrown into a situation where nations will rise and fall, wars will begin and end, and they must restore the world or they will lose everything and more, not to mention the challenges they will face, trials of pain and torture, through thick and thin, will they be able to succeed in their ends?


The Keeper

It was a bright day in Equestria, not your out and about peppy and skipping day, more of a normal day, it was relaxing, static, slow...

"Uuuggghhh, why won't today go by any faster!" Complained one Rainbow Dash as she was lying down on her bed. As she said this the door opposite the foot of her bed was opened with a slight noise. "Now what!" She looked over to the open doorway.

Fluttershy was pawing the floor of the entryway with her hoof when she spoke barely above a whisper. "Umm, if it's ok with you, you told me last week to remind you that your Daring Do book is due today, sorry if I'm late, I hope Twilight isn't upset if I am..." At this she looked away, as if she had done something wrong.

Rainbow's expression softened. "No she won't be upset with you Fluttershy, and- wait that book's due TODAY!" She bolted upright and out of bed nearly hitting the ceiling in her rush upwards. "Horse-Feathers Horse-Feathers HORSE-FEATHERS!"  
She started flying in and out of her bedroom with such speed that it caused a near-whirlwind to occur inside her own house, along with startling Fluttershy. "Where the BUCK did I put that thing!"

Suddenly, almost as soon as it started, it ended, the cause? "Uhh, if you're ok with it, I already got it for you" *_Please don't be upset with me!_*

The book in question was suddenly being held in the mouth of Rainbow Dash "Tnks Fltrshy!" With this she sped off towards the library, after all, she was the Element of Loyalty, she can't turn in a book late! What kind of element would she be if she couldn't do this!?

-Elsewhere-

Spike had been to relax today, as Twilight had planned on checking inventory of the library, unfortunately, the day was not so kind to him...

"SPIIIIIIIIiiiiiiiiiiiiiike!"

"What, I thought you were checking inventory today, why do you need me!" He rolled over in his bed so that he was facing opposite the closed door.

Hearing this response from her 'Number One Assistant', Twilight rolled her eyes and sighed thinking, *_Regular Spike…*_ "I already finished that Spike!" She looked down at a book she had discovered in the basement earlier, its' cover was blood red and was adorned with runes and symbols that glowed black, gold and shifted as if they were a living flame, and that she didn't recognize, a metallic silver latch held the book shut. "But I need some help, do you know who's book this is?" She had meant to clean the basement the week before, but she just didn't have the time, it troubled her that this strange book had been down there. *_Did I forget to return it to somepony, I hope not. I'll just get Spike to take it to the town lost and found if there isn't a name in here.*_ "I'm going to see if somepony write their name in here, I'll call down later if I don't find one!"

"Can I go back to sleep now please!?" Was his response.

"Not yet, I need you to go get the materials on this checklist along with more checklist-making materials, we keep running out for some reason".

"Fine" He mumbled to himself as he slowly rose from his bed.

"Alright, let's see which pony's. this. Is? What the-?" She suddenly stopped her out loud monologue when she realized that the book, which she thought was already significant, judging by the glowing symbols, was actually bound shut with sealing spell.

"That's odd, I don't remember borrowing a book from any of the professors in Canterlot, especially recently" She shrugged to nopony in particular. "Might as well unseal it now" She began unraveling the spell cast on the book, in the process discovering that the spell was more complex than she had originally thought, as layered into the spell were, in order, an ambient protection spell (to protect it from weathering), a detection spell (which, as she got past that, it worried her that she was bypassing somepony else's spell), and finally, the sealing spell, cast directly on the latch of the book.

Twilight was so focused on casting she didn't notice Spike leaving the library, or that he asked somepony outside a question before the door closed fully.

She heard a click as the latch came undone and picked up the book with her magic which started to open, light spewing from the pages on the inside as the door to the library was opened and Rainbow Dash trotted in...

-At the same time-

Rainbow Dash landed a few yards from the front of the library. "Seriously, it's as if the world wants me to turn this thing late" She said to herself as she trotted to the door, remembering how she had to explain to Scootaloo, who had stopped her on her way to the library, why she was returning a book of all things. "Well, no time like the present" There was suddenly a knot in her chest. She looked down towards where the phantom tightening in her was felt. *_Why am I suddenly nervous?*_ "I should hurry and just return the book, not to difficult", she said as she hurried forward. *_You know, for somepony who is so blunt you sure don't know yourself very well_.* She paused at the door, her ears perking up.*_Where did THAT come from!?*_ She felt as if she should leave the book at the door, knock, and just hope Twilight would answer the door and see the book.

"Rainbow, what are you doing?" Spike asked as he had opened the door to find Rainbow Dash just standing there

The pony in question jumped as she was startled by the sudden appearance of Spike. "Oh, uhh, you know, just returning a book, nothing else, gonna just walk in now". *_Now I'm jumpy too? What is wrong with me?*_ A thought at the back of her mind spoke ever so softly *_"You'll find out soon enough."*_ At the same time she walked in as Spike was down the road...

-In the Library-

Twilight had opened the book when she looked away as Rainbow Dash trotted in. "Hey Rainbow". She suddenly had an urge to close the book, instead she ignored it and looked back at the glowing pages where lines of ancient text had lifted off the page and holding the attributes of the letters on the cover, they also grew brighter each second when suddenly, there was a flash from somewhere in the deep recesses of the pages...

"Hey Twilight". Rainbow Dash noticed that Twilight's face was aglow with light and was filled with the urge to run as she was barely inside the library, and Twilight was on the far side of the room.

"Hey Twilight, what's tha-"

That's when the lobby of the library erupted in white hot fire, consuming Twilight entirely in the blaze and propelling Rainbow Dash out the doorway while singeing the fur on her lower legs and stomach along with the tips of her wings. She blacked out...

The roar of fire was heard all the way at Sweet Apple Acres...

-That Night-

*_"Did she survive the Ancient's Blaze?"*_

_*"Yes, The Conduit survived and The Protector should be glad she was touched by it to, although she will eventually come to appreciate your knowledge, hopefully she is creative."_*

"Oh Celestia, my head!" Rainbow Dash groaned as she woke up although she kept her eyes closed due to the headache. *_What happened, there was the book, the fire, TWILIGHT!*_ Her eyes shot open and her body upright as her vision was assaulted with blinding bright light, her nose, bitter cleaning solution and her body, extreme pain. "Twilight!? TWILIGHT!" She fell out of the bed she was in and grit her teeth as her forelegs flared with pain, she looked at herself while she was on the floor and found she was in a hospital gown, her lower fore and hind legs were wrapped generously in dressings along with entire torso while she could feel some type of wrapping on her forehead as she stood up, nearly vomiting from the accompanying nausea.

She was suddenly help upright by somepony. "Woah, hold on er' RD, you know you shouldn' go runnin roun' when yer' worse'n a calf'n a barn fire!"

Rainbow Dash was prompted towards the bed when she put up resistance. "Applejack! I need to go see if Twilight's alright!" She started leaning back with everything she had, unfortunately it wasn't much and she wasn't making any progress.

At this point a doctor and two nurses had come in, prepared for the possibility of needing to restrain the patient in the backs of their minds. One of the nurses, seeing the expression of Rainbow Dash, had a quick discussion with the present doctor and then walked up to the distressed pegasus. "Rainbow Dash, pay close attention to what I am going to sa-".

"Nurse Redheart?"

"Yes, are you listening?" She tapped her right fore-hoof on the ground twice to get Rainbow's attention again.

"Oh umm sorry, what did you say?"

"Nothing yet, but if you comply since the burns acquired in the fire have been dealt with and stabilized, as long as you remain under you friend Applejack's supervision here -" she motioned towards Applejack, who since she had long since stopped paying any attention to the nurse from concern of her friends, was startled by the sudden spotlighting on her. "-you will be able to go to the scene of the incident as a witness, but again, only under supervision, do you to comply with the necessary limitations?" Nurse Redheart nodded, more to herself than Rainbow Dash, signaling she was done.

"Yes I do now c'mon Applejack hurry up". Rainbow said to Applejack as she was busy grabbing the wheelchair from the corner of the room.

"A'hm comin', a'hm a comin', don't ya go'n get yer wings'n a knot."

*_Come on Twilight, please be alright, you can't leave your friends you'll be okay when we get there, right?*_ This was Dash's thought as she and Applejack slowly rolled towards the exit, and than to the library from there.

-Outside the Library-

It was as if the library had become a volcano, the door, although closed, was blackened with ash, the windows were broken entirely from the pressure of the blaze, the leaves, some still falling, were withered and black, a far cry from their earlier, greener state and barely visible in the night sky, ponies were standing around, kept at bay from the neon yellow tape surrounding this whole ordeal, with looks of worry, panic, and fear, while nervously trotting in place, but remaining outside the perimeter. This was the scene that greeted Applejack and Rainbow Dash as they, in their own methods,made their way to the tree, where they greeted the others of their respective group.

"Hey guys, sorry you have to see me like this..." Said Rainbow Dash with little enthusiasm after seeing the state of things.

"Now what'd I tell ya, don't ya worry yerself none!"

"Oh no, as long as you're alright we'll be fine, if that's okay with you."

"It's quite alright darling, I couldn't comprehend the possible injury of one of you."

"Okie-Dokie-Lokie! Since we're on friends where's Twilight? Let'sgethersoIcanthrow youguysagetwellpartyandthany ouguys'llgetbetterandthanyoucangeta gotbetterpartyand-"

"We get'cha Pinkie, where's Twilight anywho?" Applejack asked when a police pony, Officer Silver Hammer, answered for her.

"Well, you see -" he started, " we were just about to go inside we've had to wait outside this place until the Rogue Magic Squad -" he motioned to several unicorns surrounding the tree at various lengths between them, "-told us no more than 5 minutes ago that it's safe for us to go in without having to worry about new fires and such."

Dash's ears perked up at this new information, "Why are you telling us all this?"

Before the rest of other ponies could put their two-cents in he cleared his throat to stop them, "The reason is because, although injured, she is a witness, and has the right to know the situation at hoof, now if you'll excuse me I will be examining the interior damage." He walked to the door, turning on his flashlight just before he opened it, and walked inside.

Dash's worry for Twilight came back full force in the form of nervousness as she asked the others, "Do you think Twi-"

"WE HAVE A SITUATION!" The yell rang out from the inside of the library.

*_NO!_* This was her thought as, abandoning the wheelchair, she bolted into the library, where she froze, and let out cry of pure agony as her friends, just ahead of the rest of the investigation and evidence teams, as they had been reviewing notes on the exterior damages, were rushing inside and laid witness to a sight that would be etched in their minds. It was Twilight Sparkle, whole, in a way, but her face an expression of absolute crippling agony, pain she wasn't feeling. When Rainbow Dash *_Twilight, no, you can't do this!*_ revoked from her stupor by her friends, had gone to touch Twilight, *_I failed you...*_ unbelieving of her own supposed failure, and barely nicked Twilight's left fore hoof, her entire ash-covered body disintegrated in front of everyone, and that is when they realized, it had not been her body that held the expression it had been her corpse...

-Darkness-

*_Where am I?*_ She only knew pain and darkness.

*_"You are very lucky to have survived that you know -"*_ he began while she wondered if she was dead, *_"-but when regain your ability to speak, assuming you're not mental from the pain, you may refer to me simply as The Keeper of Knowledge"_*

*_Why did this happen to me, I didn't do anything, it was just a book!*_ She began to cry, her tears invisible in the imposing darkness...

-Rainbow Dash-

She was asleep but her mind was not. A voice, otherworldly, resounded in her dream, *_"You shall be The Protector and time shall be your key..."*_


End file.
